I always intended to swing into Dolly’s before it closed in December last year for massive renovation. The sheer seedy audacity of the formerly Pepto pink-and-white exterior promised a great greasy-spoon diner experience. The quality of the remodeling effort suggests that it was good that I waited.
Dolly’s today looks positively swank. Its cinderblock façade has been redone, with muted green and canvas arches in green, maroon and goldenrod over the windows. Inside, the transformation is equally upscale with high-backed booths, rich fabrics, polished wood and warm harvest colors on the walls. Then there are the bathrooms, which must be seen to be believed: Imagine a cross between high-end chic and an airplane lavatory.
It’s not just the bathrooms either: I find it stunning how many people can actually fit into the truly tiny building at once. From the street, you might guess five to 10 — but that many fit just at the counter that wraps around the tiny galley kitchen, which itself is just large enough for two cooks working shoulder to shoulder.
But the space wasn’t the most important thing Desiree Olsness bought when she took over Dolly’s 16 years ago. With the space, she got the name and a story stretching back to 1958: Dolly Mueller and her famous pies. For several years, Olsness personally served as custodian of the Dolly’s name, but in the late ’90s, she arranged a lease-to-own deal to save herself from restaurant burnout. That deal fell apart last year, and Olsness found herself faced with a building in serious disrepair — customers complained of a waterfall inside when it rained — and a business to resurrect.
And that’s exactly what she’s doing. The current menu doesn’t feature any of Mueller’s pies, but Olsness and her kitchen crew do serve up a great Belgian waffle and menu of diner classics.
These include chicken fried steak and eggs ($11.49) and eggs Benedict ($9) on the breakfast side of the laminated menu, and hot roast beef and turkey sandwiches with mashed potatoes and gravy at on the lunch side. For breakfast, I’m sweet on the waffle; at lunch, a great place to start is the straightforward mushroom and swiss burger. At either meal, grab a stool at the counter and listen to the regulars banter with each other, Olsness and her staff. — KEVIN FINCH
Dolly’s Café, 1825 N. Washington St., is open daily, 6 am-2 pm. Call 326-0386.
Showing posts with label diner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diner. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Pancakes and patties
If you’re a fan of biscuits and gravy, chicken fried steak, and all day breakfast, there’s a new diner in downtown Spokane you should know about. Located next to the Days Inn hotel, it’s a place where generous breakfasts fuel weary travelers and hot-off-the-grill lunches feed those passing through the busy Third Avenue corridor.
The minimalist décor has a subtle Western theme, with paintings of wild game animals and rooms named “Back at the Ranch” and “Wild West.” Country music plays in the background, rounding out the ambience.
The breakfast offerings are plentiful, including standard favorites like pancake platters, strawberry-topped French toast and bacon and eggs. Breakfast prices range from $5 for a short stack to $9.25 for Joe’s favorite: pancakes, three kinds of meat, eggs, hash browns and toast. Omelets, oatmeal and Belgian waffles are also available.
For lunch or dinner, the menu features char-broiled burgers, tuna melts, and Reuben sandwiches served with thick-cut fries or applesauce. The Turkey Deluxe sandwich ($7) rates high on the comfort-food scale, with just the right amount of crispy bacon and melted Swiss cheese grilled between layers of golden sourdough. Our order was slow in arriving, but the kitchen seemed just to be getting warmed up, as other customers’ orders were filled promptly.
Starters include mozzarella sticks, onion rings, or soup of the day. Entrees ($7-$14) are traditional all-American favorites like chicken fried steak, charbroiled salmon, fish and chips and a rib eye with asparagus and hollandaise. For lighter appetites, Third Avenue offers a grilled chicken Caesar and a diner salad.
I had visions of ordering a chocolate milkshake along with my lunch, but it was probably a blessing to my waistline that the dessert options are limited to ice cream and cheesecake.
Third Avenue Diner serves its purpose by offering well-executed, tried-and-true favorites at affordable prices. After two failed Indian restaurants in the same space, maybe a little down-home comfort food isn’t such a bad strategy. — KIRSTEN HARRINGTON
Third Avenue Diner, 128 W. Third Ave., is open 6 am-10 pm, daily. Call 747-3251.
The minimalist décor has a subtle Western theme, with paintings of wild game animals and rooms named “Back at the Ranch” and “Wild West.” Country music plays in the background, rounding out the ambience.
The breakfast offerings are plentiful, including standard favorites like pancake platters, strawberry-topped French toast and bacon and eggs. Breakfast prices range from $5 for a short stack to $9.25 for Joe’s favorite: pancakes, three kinds of meat, eggs, hash browns and toast. Omelets, oatmeal and Belgian waffles are also available.
For lunch or dinner, the menu features char-broiled burgers, tuna melts, and Reuben sandwiches served with thick-cut fries or applesauce. The Turkey Deluxe sandwich ($7) rates high on the comfort-food scale, with just the right amount of crispy bacon and melted Swiss cheese grilled between layers of golden sourdough. Our order was slow in arriving, but the kitchen seemed just to be getting warmed up, as other customers’ orders were filled promptly.
Starters include mozzarella sticks, onion rings, or soup of the day. Entrees ($7-$14) are traditional all-American favorites like chicken fried steak, charbroiled salmon, fish and chips and a rib eye with asparagus and hollandaise. For lighter appetites, Third Avenue offers a grilled chicken Caesar and a diner salad.
I had visions of ordering a chocolate milkshake along with my lunch, but it was probably a blessing to my waistline that the dessert options are limited to ice cream and cheesecake.
Third Avenue Diner serves its purpose by offering well-executed, tried-and-true favorites at affordable prices. After two failed Indian restaurants in the same space, maybe a little down-home comfort food isn’t such a bad strategy. — KIRSTEN HARRINGTON
Third Avenue Diner, 128 W. Third Ave., is open 6 am-10 pm, daily. Call 747-3251.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Top Notch Returns
Walk into the newly reopened Top Notch Café and you can expect to be greeted with friendly service, a great cup of coffee, and classic breakfast and lunch options with a few twists. You also get to slip back in time.
The Top Notch first opened in 1931 on the corner of Monroe and Mallon, and original art deco touches remain in the renovated space. “Daily people come in with stories from the past,” new owner Don Torbenson says with a grin, “and I just found out that the grandfather of one of our servers used to wash dishes here.”
Torbenson also discovered that early in its history, a previous owner would leave the door open all night long with a hot pot of coffee on for beat cops when they walked by. They came, warmed up and left money on the counter for the coffee they drank.
The coffee is still hot and several notches above typical diner brew, but the door is no longer open 24 hours. Torbenson and his crew open at 7 am during the week (8 am on weekends) and close at 2 pm after the last stragglers from the courthouse have been in for their Reuben or French Dip ($8.25 each).
Order an early breakfast special and $4.95 gets you two eggs, hash browns, toast, and coffee. We like the fact that the bread comes from just across the street at the Alpine Bistro and Bakery, and the hash browns are sliced thick.
Overall the menu highlights comfort food and traditional fare. “We wanted to bring it back to what it used to be,” Torbenson says. But along the way he and his wife Tama also had a little fun. There is Tama’s Jalapeño Burger ($7.95) at lunch, amped-up enough to make you cry, and an omelet packed with… wait for it… sauerkraut, cheese and German sausage.
Torbenson asked Terry Best from O’Doherty’s in the Valley if he could put a Terry original on the menu, and notes that “the people that try it, fall in love with it.” But he adds with another grin that not everyone is willing to try it. You can decide whether you’ll stick to the standards or try a Top Notch adventure, but either way, swing in soon for some good, unfussy food and a little living history in the shadow of the courthouse. — KEVIN FINCH
Top Notch Café, 825 North Monroe St., is open 7 am-2 pm weekdays and 8 am-2 pm weekends. Call 315-5567.
The Top Notch first opened in 1931 on the corner of Monroe and Mallon, and original art deco touches remain in the renovated space. “Daily people come in with stories from the past,” new owner Don Torbenson says with a grin, “and I just found out that the grandfather of one of our servers used to wash dishes here.”
Torbenson also discovered that early in its history, a previous owner would leave the door open all night long with a hot pot of coffee on for beat cops when they walked by. They came, warmed up and left money on the counter for the coffee they drank.
The coffee is still hot and several notches above typical diner brew, but the door is no longer open 24 hours. Torbenson and his crew open at 7 am during the week (8 am on weekends) and close at 2 pm after the last stragglers from the courthouse have been in for their Reuben or French Dip ($8.25 each).
Order an early breakfast special and $4.95 gets you two eggs, hash browns, toast, and coffee. We like the fact that the bread comes from just across the street at the Alpine Bistro and Bakery, and the hash browns are sliced thick.
Overall the menu highlights comfort food and traditional fare. “We wanted to bring it back to what it used to be,” Torbenson says. But along the way he and his wife Tama also had a little fun. There is Tama’s Jalapeño Burger ($7.95) at lunch, amped-up enough to make you cry, and an omelet packed with… wait for it… sauerkraut, cheese and German sausage.
Torbenson asked Terry Best from O’Doherty’s in the Valley if he could put a Terry original on the menu, and notes that “the people that try it, fall in love with it.” But he adds with another grin that not everyone is willing to try it. You can decide whether you’ll stick to the standards or try a Top Notch adventure, but either way, swing in soon for some good, unfussy food and a little living history in the shadow of the courthouse. — KEVIN FINCH
Top Notch Café, 825 North Monroe St., is open 7 am-2 pm weekdays and 8 am-2 pm weekends. Call 315-5567.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
State of breakfast
It was a bit like musical chairs when Beach House owner/manager Dave Libbey left to reopen CONNIE’S CAFÉ, a Sandpoint institution serving home-style meals since the ’50s. Libbey’s departure paved the way for Café Trinity’s owners to take over the Edgewater hotel location, now called Trinity at City Beach (Fresh & Tasty, 7/24/09). Yet it was music to the ears of loyal Connie’s customers who have followed the longtime restaurant’s struggles over the past few years as successive owners tried to make it.
The only part of the restaurant not fully restored to its former status, in fact, is the music portion in Connie’s Lounge, which is open but not booking bands right now.
In the meantime, the menu has been updated, along with some of the interior, booths, carpeting and parts of the kitchen facilities. But the general ambience is the same. It’s still the kind of diner where the light seems to be perpetually twilight, where a server will likely know your name if you’re a local, and where breakfast is a state of mind served daily until 2 pm.
Breakfast is chock full of the kinds of basics you’d expect at Grandma’s table: eggs, omelets, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, steak and eggs — even oat groats. The vegetarian benedict was a plentiful portion of crispy hashbrowns, poached eggs, avocado, tomato, spinach and hollandaise ($7, half/$9, full).
For lunch, steer toward the Angus beef burgers served with soup, fries or three kinds of salad (green, potato or coleslaw). Other lunch sandwiches ($9-$10) include home-style favorites like open-faced turkey or the Reuben. The Portobello salad with roasted red pepper ($9) and Caribbean chicken wrap with fruit salsa provide great appeal for health-conscious or summer-minded appetites.
For dinner, there are standbys like meatloaf ($9), fried chicken ($13), and weekend prime rib ($9/$20). Other menu items will come as a welcome surprise, like the bronzed escolar fish, which Connie’s does up Cajun style ($16), or Twisted Mac & Cheese with linguica sausage, fresh crab and roasted red peppers ($13).
Overall the menu has something for everyone, with reasonable prices and quick service. It’s the kind of place you can go for breakfast on a Sunday with the kids or hook up with friends for beer and appetizers out on the back patio and feel right at home. — CARRIE SCOZZARO
Connie’s, 323 Cedar St., Sandpoint, is open Mon-Sat 7 am-9 pm, Sun 8 am-8 pm. Call (208) 255-2227.
The only part of the restaurant not fully restored to its former status, in fact, is the music portion in Connie’s Lounge, which is open but not booking bands right now.
In the meantime, the menu has been updated, along with some of the interior, booths, carpeting and parts of the kitchen facilities. But the general ambience is the same. It’s still the kind of diner where the light seems to be perpetually twilight, where a server will likely know your name if you’re a local, and where breakfast is a state of mind served daily until 2 pm.
Breakfast is chock full of the kinds of basics you’d expect at Grandma’s table: eggs, omelets, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, steak and eggs — even oat groats. The vegetarian benedict was a plentiful portion of crispy hashbrowns, poached eggs, avocado, tomato, spinach and hollandaise ($7, half/$9, full).
For lunch, steer toward the Angus beef burgers served with soup, fries or three kinds of salad (green, potato or coleslaw). Other lunch sandwiches ($9-$10) include home-style favorites like open-faced turkey or the Reuben. The Portobello salad with roasted red pepper ($9) and Caribbean chicken wrap with fruit salsa provide great appeal for health-conscious or summer-minded appetites.
For dinner, there are standbys like meatloaf ($9), fried chicken ($13), and weekend prime rib ($9/$20). Other menu items will come as a welcome surprise, like the bronzed escolar fish, which Connie’s does up Cajun style ($16), or Twisted Mac & Cheese with linguica sausage, fresh crab and roasted red peppers ($13).
Overall the menu has something for everyone, with reasonable prices and quick service. It’s the kind of place you can go for breakfast on a Sunday with the kids or hook up with friends for beer and appetizers out on the back patio and feel right at home. — CARRIE SCOZZARO
Connie’s, 323 Cedar St., Sandpoint, is open Mon-Sat 7 am-9 pm, Sun 8 am-8 pm. Call (208) 255-2227.
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